On December 7, 2017, the Mariners made the most exciting move they had made since signing Robinson Canó four years prior: they traded for Dee Gordon. The move being exciting, however, had nothing to do with Dee. The trade, which saw the Mariners send top pitching prospect Nick Neidert to the Miami Marlins, was mostly about the international bonus pool money that came back to Seattle.
At the time, Gordon seemed an odd acquisition with Canó firmly entrenched in the lineup. That he was the only player the Mariners were receiving in return for Neidert seemed to suggest that the Mariners were confident they could use the pool money to woo Shohei Ohtani.